This year has had some of the worst rainfalls since 1995, said farmer Bennie Grady. He added that Duplin County has seen about 17 inches of rain since the end of May.

“Way too much rain; we've had twice the rain we need, but we're not controlling that,” Grady said.

Agriculture Extension Agent Curtis Fountain said the excessive rainfall has caused a delay in planting crops like soybeans.

“Growers are beginning to question, should they plant these crops at this point because time is running out,” Fountain said.

Meanwhile, other crops like tobacco, cotton and wheat are behind in harvesting.

“The work has just piled up on us,” Grady said. “When it rains, you're caught up right then, but it actually puts you behind.”

Fountain said the wait isn’t the best for those crops, either.

“As time goes on and it remains in the field and goes through weathering, the yield, as well as the quality of that crop, decline,” Fountain said.

But there is one bright side to all this rain. Fountain said corn thrives in wet environments. But even this amount of rain is a bit much for the crop. He said corn will be the least affected, and it should still be a good year for harvesting.

Fountain said it’s too soon to tell what the financial hit will be for Duplin County farmers.

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